Best Interest Rates Survey: Bank Accounts, Treasury Bills, Money Markets, ETFs – August 2025

Posted on August 10, 2025 // 3 Comments

Here’s my monthly survey of the best interest rates on cash as of August 2025, roughly sorted from shortest to longest maturities. Banks and brokerages love taking advantage of our idle cash, and you can often earning more money while keeping the same level of safety by moving to another FDIC-insured bank or NCUA-insured credit union. Check out my Ultimate Rate-Chaser Calculator to see how much extra interest you could earn from switching. Rates listed are available to everyone nationwide. Rates checked as of 8/10/2025.

TL;DR: Savings account interest rates are mostly stable (maybe a tiny bit lower on average) with one at 5% APY but most struggling to stay above 4.00% APY. Short-term T-Bill rates at around 4.3%. Top 5-year CD rates are ~4.25% APY, while 5-year Treasury rate is ~3.8%.

High-yield savings accounts*
Since the huge megabanks still pay essentially no interest, everyone should at least have a separate, no-fee online savings account to piggy-back onto your existing checking account. The interest rates on savings accounts can drop at any time, so I list the top rates as well as competitive rates from banks with a history of competitive rates and solid user experience. Some banks will bait you with a temporary top rate and then lower the rates in the hopes that you are too lazy to leave.

  • The top saving rate at the moment: HUSTL Financial at 5.00% APY (no min), a division of Vantage West Credit Union, member NCUA (and thus not a fintech). No direct experience with this one; wonder how long it will last? The “good/excellent” savings rate zone appears to be roughly 4% and above. CIT Platinum Savings is now at 4.00% APY with $5,000+ balance. There are many banks in between.
  • SoFi Bank is at 3.80% APY + up to $325 new account bonus with direct deposit. You must maintain a direct deposit of any amount (even $1) each month for the higher APY. SoFi has historically competitive rates and full banking features. See details at $25 + $300 SoFi Money new account and deposit bonus.
  • Here is a limited survey of high-yield savings accounts. They aren’t the top rates, but a group that have historically kept it relatively competitive such that I like to track their history. I’d call this the “okay/good” zone of 3.50%+.

Short-term guaranteed rates (1 year and under)
A common question is what to do with a big pile of cash that you’re waiting to deploy shortly (plan to buy a house soon, just sold your house, just sold your business, legal settlement, inheritance). My usual advice is to keep things simple and take your time. If not a savings account, then put it in a flexible short-term CD under the FDIC limits until you have a plan.

  • No Penalty CDs offer a fixed interest rate that can never go down, but you can still take out your money (once) without any fees if you want to use it elsewhere. Marcus has a 13-month No Penalty CD at 4.15% APY ($500 minimum deposit). Farmer’s Insurance FCU has a 9-month No Penalty CD at 4.25% APY ($1,000 minimum deposit). USA USALLIANCE Financial CU has a 11-month No Penalty CD at 4.20% APY ($500 minimum deposit).
  • Eagle Bank has a 12-month certificate at 4.40% APY ($1,000 min). Early withdrawal penalty is 90 days of interest.

Money market mutual funds
Many brokerage firms that pay out very little interest on their default cash sweep funds (and keep the difference for themselves). Note: Money market mutual funds are highly-regulated, but ultimately not FDIC-insured, so I would still stick with highly reputable firms.

  • Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund (VMFXX) is the default sweep option for Vanguard brokerage accounts, which has an SEC yield of 4.22% (changes daily, but also works out to a compound yield of 4.30%, which is better for comparing against APY). Odds are this is much higher than your own broker’s default cash sweep interest rate.
  • Vanguard Treasury Money Market Fund (VUSXX) is an alternative money market fund which you must manually purchase, but the interest will be mostly (100% for 2024 tax year) exempt from state and local income taxes because it comes from qualifying US government obligations. Current SEC yield of 4.24% (compound yield of 4.32%).

Treasury Bills and Ultra-short Treasury ETFs
Another option is to buy individual Treasury bills which come in a variety of maturities from 4-weeks to 52-weeks and are fully backed by the US government. You can also invest in ETFs that hold a rotating basket of short-term Treasury Bills for you, while charging a small management fee for doing so. T-bill interest is exempt from state and local income taxes, which can make a significant difference in your effective yield.

  • You can build your own T-Bill ladder at TreasuryDirect.gov or via a brokerage account with a bond desk like Vanguard and Fidelity. Here are the current Treasury Bill rates. As of 8/8/25, a new 4-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 4.36% annualized interest and a 52-week T-Bill had the equivalent of 3.92% annualized interest.
  • The iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) has a 4.24% SEC yield (0.09% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.10 years. SPDR Bloomberg Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) has a 4.16% SEC yield (0.136% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.15 years. The new Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL) has a 4.21% SEC yield (0.07% expense ratio) and effective duration of 0.10 years.

US Savings Bonds
Series I Savings Bonds offer rates that are linked to inflation and backed by the US government. You must hold them for at least a year. If you redeem them within 5 years there is a penalty of the last 3 months of interest. The annual purchase limit for electronic I bonds is $10,000 per Social Security Number, available online at TreasuryDirect.gov.

  • “I Bonds” bought between May 2025 and October 2025 will earn a 3.98% rate for the first six months. The rate of the subsequent 6-month period will be based on inflation again. More on Savings Bonds here.
  • In mid-October 2025, the CPI will be announced and you will have a short period where you will have a very close estimate of the rate for the next 12 months. I will post another update at that time.

Rewards checking accounts
These unique checking accounts pay above-average interest rates, but with unique risks. You have to jump through certain hoops which usually involve 10+ debit card purchases each cycle, a certain number of ACH/direct deposits, and/or a certain number of logins per month. If you make a mistake (or they judge that you did) you risk earning zero interest for that month. Some folks don’t mind the extra work and attention required, while others would rather not bother. Rates can also drop suddenly, leaving a “bait-and-switch” feeling.

  • OnPath Federal Credit Union (my review) pays 7.00% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and login to online or mobile banking once per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization. You can also get a $100 Visa Reward card when you open a new account and make qualifying transactions.
  • Genisys Credit Union pays 6.75% APY on up to $7,500 if you make 10 debit card purchases of $5+ each per statement cycle, and opt into online statements. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
  • La Capitol Federal Credit Union pays 5.75% APY on up to $10,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases of at least $5 each per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization, Louisiana Association for Personal Financial Achievement ($20).
  • First Southern Bank pays 5.50% APY on up to $25,000 if you make at least 15 debit card purchases, 1 ACH credit or payment transaction, and enroll in online statements.
  • Credit Union of New Jersey pays 6.00% APY on up to $25,000 if you make 12 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit, online bill payment, or automatic payment (ACH) per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via $5 membership fee to join partner organization.
  • Andrews Federal Credit Union pays 5.50% APY (down from 6%) on up to $25,000 if you make 15 debit card purchases, opt into online statements, and make at least 1 direct deposit or ACH transaction per statement cycle. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization.
  • Find a locally-restricted rewards checking account at DepositAccounts.

Certificates of deposit (greater than 1 year)
CDs offer higher rates, but come with an early withdrawal penalty. By finding a bank CD with a reasonable early withdrawal penalty, you can enjoy higher rates but maintain access in a true emergency. Alternatively, consider building a CD ladder of different maturity lengths (ex. 1/2/3/4/5-years) such that you have access to part of the ladder each year, but your blended interest rate is higher than a savings account. When one CD matures, use that money to buy another 5-year CD to keep the ladder going. Some CDs also offer “add-ons” where you can deposit more funds if rates drop.

  • Mountain America Credit Union (MACU) has a 5-year certificate at 4.25% APY ($500 minimum), 4-year at 4.20% APY, 3-year at 4.15% APY, 2-year at 4.00% APY, and 1-year at 4.15% APY. Early withdrawal penalty for the 4-year and 5-year is 365 days of interest. Anyone can join this credit union via partner organization American Consumer Council for a one-time $5 fee (or try promo code “consumer”).
  • Lafayette Federal Credit Union (LFCU) has a 5/4/3/2/1-year certificates at 4.28% APY ($500 min). Slightly higher rates with jumbo $100,000+ balances. Note that the early withdrawal penalty for the 5-year is a relatively large 600 days of interest. Anyone nationwide can join LFCU by joining the Home Ownership Financial Literacy Council (HOFLC) for a one-time $10 fee.
  • You can buy certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. You may need an account to see the rates. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance and easy laddering, but they don’t come with predictable early withdrawal penalties. Right now, I see a 5-year non-callable brokered CD at 3.95% APY (callable: no, call protection: yes). Be warned that both Vanguard and Fidelity will list higher rates from callable CDs, which importantly means they can (and will!) call back your CD if rates drop significantly later.

Longer-term Instruments
I’d use these with caution due to increased interest rate risk (tbh, I don’t use them at all), but I still track them to see the rest of the current yield curve.

  • Willing to lock up your money for 10 years? You can buy long-term certificates of deposit via the bond desks of Vanguard and Fidelity. These “brokered CDs” offer FDIC insurance, but they don’t come with predictable early withdrawal penalties. You might find something that pays more than your other brokerage cash and Treasury options. Right now, I see a 10-year CDs at 3.85% (non-callable) vs. 4.27% for a 10-year Treasury. Watch out for higher rates from callable CDs where they can call your CD back if interest rates drop.

All rates were checked as of 8/10/25.

* I no longer recommend fintech companies due to the possibility of loss due to poor recordkeeping and lack of government regulation. (Ex. Evergreen Wealth at 5% APY is a fintech.)

Photo by insung yoon on Unsplash

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Investing // Tagged:

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express Review: 6% Cash Back at US Supermarkets ($6,000/Year), Enhanced $120 Disney Streaming Credit

Posted on August 7, 2025 // 28 Comments

card_name

Updated with improved $120 Disney Streaming Credit (now up to $10 per month with no minimum or bundle required). The card_name is one of my longtime keeper cards even with an annual fee. The headline feature is 6% cash back at US stand-alone supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), but I also use it for 6% cash back on all my streaming subscriptions. If you spend $100 a week at supermarkets, that alone will earn you over $300 a year in rewards. The welcome offer is also currently very generous. The highlights:

  • Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
  • 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be reg_apr,reg_apr_type.
  • 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1% after that).
  • 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
  • 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations.
  • 3% cash back on eligible transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more.
  • 1% cash back on other purchases.
  • Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.
  • $120 Disney Streaming Credit. Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred(R) Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at disneyplus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.
  • Apply with confidence. Know if you’re approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you’re approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
  • $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
  • See Rates and Fees

Max out your benefit by buying gift cards at US supermarkets. I use this card to buy gift cards at eligible supermarkets to use up the annual limit and get 6% back. My local Safeway has an entire wall of options, but I usually go with Amazon, Apple, or Starbucks (gifts). You can easily confirm that your purchase still gets 6% cash back on your account online:

Supermarkets details. “US stand-alone supermarkets” means that superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are not considered supermarkets. This means no Super Wal-Mart, no Super Target, no Costco. Examples of merchants that do count (and this is not a complete list!) are (source):

ALDI
FreshDirect
Gelson’s
Hy-Vee
Kings Food Markets
Meijer
ShopRite
Smart & Final
Stop & Shop
Trader Joe’s
Vons
Whole Foods
Winn-Dixie

Gasoline details. “US stand-alone gas stations” means that superstores, supermarkets, and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are not considered gas stations. This means no Target, no Costco, no Sam’s Club. Examples of merchants that count (again not a complete list!) are Exxon, Mobil, Hess, Shell, Gulf, Murphy USA, Murphy Express.

US Streaming Subscriptions details. These are all included at 6% cash back:

Amazon Music Unlimited
AMC+
Apple Music
Apple TV+
Audible
Britbox
DirecTV Stream (formerly known as AT&T TV or AT&T TV NOW)
Discovery+
Disney+
ESPN+
Fubo TV
HBO Max
Hulu
iHeartRadio
Kindle Unlimited
Luminary
MGM+
MLB.TV
NBA League Pass
Netflix
Pandora
Paramount+
Peacock
Prime Video
Sling TV
SiriusXM Streaming and Satellite
Spotify
Starz
TIDAL Music
YouTube Music Premium
YouTube Premium
YouTube TV

Disney Streaming credit details (worth up to $120 a year). Now, with the enhanced $120 Disney Streaming Credit, you can earn up to $10 back per month as a statement credit when you use your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card to purchase a subscription, or bundle subscription, on DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites, now with no minimum purchase requirement. Subscription is subject to auto-renewal.

If you already have this card, you can enroll in this offer here.

Annual fee. There is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95, but with the improved Disney Streaming credit that works with no minimums from Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN+, that can already more than completely offsets any future annual fee on its own. We already pay for Disney+ with no ads, so we already max out the $120 in annual credits.

The 6% cash back category can also quickly help this card earn its keep. The max cap of $6,000 annually works out to a steady averaged rate of $500 a month, which at 6% back would net you $360 cash back in a year vs. $60 at 1% cash back. Heck, simply hitting the $100 mark in a single trip at the supermarket is far too easy these days.

Alternatively, the card_name offers 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%) and other perks but with no annual fee. Terms apply. (See Rates and Fees)

Cash back is officially given in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit, gift cards, and merchandise. You can also use it to offset your Amazon.com purchases at checkout. I usually just stick with statements credit to directly pay down my monthly bill.

Bottom line. The card_name has the key feature of 6% cash back at US supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year). You can now also get 6% cash back on Netflix/Spotify/HBO Now as well as 3% cash back at US gas stations and transit (Uber/Lyft/train). This has been a “keeper” card for me for many years now. I treat it like one of my 5% cash back cards, except there are no rotating categories or activations to worry about. They also just improved their Disney Streaming credit to be worth up to $10/month ($120 annually), which I also utilize.

Rates and Fees for Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express :Rates and Fees for Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Rates and Fees for Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: Rates and Fees for Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General //

Random Tip: Amazon Items Under $1

Posted on August 5, 2025 // Leave a Comment

Did you know that if you search for “items under $1” on Amazon, you’ll get… a bunch of random stuff not under $1… but also many items indeed $1 and under? If you click on the checkbox to the top left, you can list only Prime-eligible items. As long as you buy things in separate orders but close together, they’ll usually ship together with Prime but each purchase will process separately on your credit card. These can be useful for:

  • Rewards checking accounts that require a minimum 10 or 15 transactions per month.
  • Any situation where you need multiple, separate purchases, like some bank bonuses or certain debit or credit card rewards programs.
  • Cheap items to reach the upper tier of Subscribe & Save 10%/15% savings when you get to 5+ items.
  • Sometimes you just find decent deals on stuff you need.

(Note: If you are reading this in an email/RSS reader, unfortunately I am not allowed to include any Amazon affiliate links in e-mails, so they have been removed. Please click here to view the links.)

A few examples for items under $1 (prices may change after posting):

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

US Bank Smartly Credit Card Review: More Negative Changes September 2025

Posted on August 3, 2025 // 40 Comments

Update August 2025: Previously-grandfathered “V1” cardholders should have received both paper and e-mail notifications of new changes that are to be effective 9/15/25. The e-mail subject will be “Important information about your U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card”. There appears to be two possible sets of new requirements.

The more restrictive version basically changes you to the current version available to new applicants, which requires all qualifying balances to be held in a checking account earning essentially zero interest. There are also new excluded categories like tuition and estimated tax payments.

Updated rewards earning
You will continue to earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase with no caps.¹

The way in which you earn a Smartly Earning Bonus will be updated as follows:
Earn up to an additional 2% cash back on your first $10,000 in eligible Net Purchases each billing cycle when paired with a U.S. Bank Smartly® Savings account plus qualifying balances in U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking and/or Safe Debit account(s).¹
– Earn a total of 2.5% cash back with a qualifying balance between $10,000 and $49,999.
– Earn a total of 3% cash back with a qualifying balance between $50,000 and $99,999.
– Earn a total of 4% cash back with a qualifying balance of $100,000 or more.

Not all purchases are eligible to earn the Smartly Earning Bonus. Purchases classified in the categories listed below may be excluded from earning the Smartly Earning bonus:
– Education/school, gift cards, insurance, or tax
– Business-to-business transactions (i.e. advertising services, construction material suppliers, etc.)
– Transactions using third-party bill payment services

These purchases will earn the base 2% cash back and are not calculated as part of the $10,000 billing cycle cap.

The less restrictive version is mostly the same, with the very important difference being that your qualifying balances can still be held in an investment account. Thanks to reader Playc.

Updated rewards earning
You will continue to earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase with no caps.¹

The way in which you earn a Smartly Earning Bonus will be updated as follows:
Earn up to an additional 2% cash back on your first $10,000 in eligible Net Purchases each billing cycle when paired with a U.S. Bank Smartly® Savings account and average daily combined qualifying balances in U.S. Bank deposit, trust or investment accounts.¹
– Earn a total of 2.5% cash back with a qualifying balance between $5,000 and $49,999.
– Earn a total of 3% cash back with a qualifying balance between $50,000 and $99,999.
– Earn a total of 4% cash back with a qualifying balance of $100,000 or more.

Not all purchases are eligible to earn the Smartly Earning Bonus. Purchases classified in the categories listed below may be excluded from earning the Smartly Earning bonus:
– Education/school, gift cards, insurance, or tax
– Business-to-business transactions (i.e. advertising services, construction material suppliers, etc.)
– Transactions using third-party bill payment services

These purchases will earn the base 2% cash back and are not calculated as part of the $10,000 billing cycle cap.

Unfortunately, I got the more restrictive version. That means they will have completely changed their advertised and promised features less than 6 months from getting this card. As a result, I will be closing my Smartly Checking, Smartly Savings, Smartly credit card, and US Bank brokerage account. Not a good look for a place that wants to be taken seriously as one of the major nationwide banks. Unreliability is not something most banks want to be known for.

Update 4/15/25: The rumors were true and have taken effect as of 4/15/25. If you have not applied yet, I wouldn’t bother. Given the spending cap and bonus category exclusions, in nearly all cases, the potential lost interest on the required cash deposits (earning no interest) will be higher than any additional potential cash back rewards earned. I consider this now basically a 2% cash back card.

Update 4/8/25: The same Reddit user has posted follow-up details, and they appear to confirm the details of the initial rumor. Please refer to the newest Reddit post, screenshot #1, screenshot #2, and screenshot #3. They appear legitimate in my opinion.

For existing cardholders, no changes have been announced. Everything is the same, for now. No $10k/month spending cap. Balance tiers are the same. Investment account balances still count. No new bonus category exclusions. Hope the grandfathering of loyal customers lasts, as we went through a good amount of trouble moving over significant assets.

For new cardholders that apply after April 14th, this card is no longer attractive above the base 2% cash back. They will require the qualifying deposits to be held in the Smartly Checking or Safe Debit accounts, which earn zero or essentially zero interest. Balances held in a brokerage account no longer qualify. Even balances held in their own Smartly Savings account (currently up to 3.50% APY) no longer qualify. Given the spending cap and bonus category exclusions, in nearly all cases, the potential lost interest on this cash will be higher than the additional potential cash back rewards earned. Goodbye, Smartly, we hardly knew ye.

Update 4/7/25: The rumors have gotten more supporting evidence. Reddit user Zanutrees posted this screenshot from an internal US Bank e-mail that appears to be legitimate. The two most critical quotes:

  • “A revised U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature® Card is launching soon and will be available for application in branches starting April 14! Resources to help you prepare for the launch of the revised card will become available on Card Central tomorrow, April 8.“
  • “It is important to note that existing Bank Smartly cardmembers as well as any clients who applied prior to April 14 will receive the original Bank Smartly Card features and benefits; the revised card features and benefits will only affect clients who apply for the card on or after April 14.“

Overall, the two actionable responses are the same as below (apply ASAP or never). We just got more support behind the 4/14 deadline and the fact that they will be offering grandfathering (for an unspecified amount of time).

Update 4/2/25: Doctor of Credit reports a Reddit rumor that the US Bank Smartly credit card will be undergoing some major negative changes as of 4/14/25. This includes:

  • Base is still 2% cash back on unlimited amounts. Bonus cash back (up to another 2% for a total of 4%) is capped to $10,000 in purchases per statement cycle.
  • Bonus cash back now excludes: Educational/school, gift cards, insurance, taxes, business to business transactions, and 3rd party bill payments.
  • For new cardmembers after April 14th, only checking account balances count now towards the $10k/$50k/$100k deposit requirements. Critically, savings account balances and investment balances do not count after 4/14 for new cardmembers. Existing customers will be grandfathered in for now.

Again, the above is a rumor. However, I do believe the following are true:

  • There is basically no way that this card can continue to exist without some sort of added restrictions. 4% with no cap simply does not math out, as I guarantee that some people are paying $100,000 in college or private school tuitions, $300,000+ in tax bills on this card, and who knows how many business transactions between “friendly” parties…
  • US Bank has a history of first rolling out a consumer-friendly product, and then later pulling it from the market or changing the features.
  • US Bank also has a history of grandfathering in existing customers of those products and continuing to offer them some/all of the old features.

Therefore, I see two possible actionable responses:

  1. Giving up on this Smartly card and not applying at all, and possibly avoiding the US Bank ecosystem altogether. It’s hard to work with unreliable people. If these changes take place, after 4/14 the lost interest on $100,000 in cash will outweigh the extra 2% by a good margin.
  2. Working extra fast right now in order to open up your US Bank Smartly savings account (this seems to be the easiest to open), then Smartly checking w/ bonus, then the US Bank self-directed brokerage account, fund it with $100,000, and apply for the Smartly credit card all as soon as possible, definitely before the rumored 4/14 deadline. Take advantage of the fact that they probably have to grandfather in these current terms at least for a year or so, otherwise in theory they would be bait-and-switching and might get in trouble.

Since my last update, I opened a new US Bank brokerage account, moved over $101,000 in cash, and then invested it all into the SGOV ETF that holds Treasury Bills. (I could have moved over stock ETFs instead, but I had the cash available.) I then applied for the Smartly credit card and was approved with a $25,000 limit despite my previous lack of “pre-approval”. I was hoping that reaching their top rewards tier first would encourage them to approve my new card, and maybe it helped. I’m okay with accepting the rumored changes as long as they grandfather me in on the brokerage balances; it could have been worse. What do you think?

I just took a quick look at the application page. Everything still looks the same as before as of today. I did take some screenshots in case there are subtle changes later.

Update 11/11/24: Applications for this card are now open. No sign-up bonus. It let me check if I was “pre-approved” with a soft pull (had to unfreeze TransUnion for it to work), but I was not pre-approved. That might be because I recently applied for the Altitude Reserve (now-discontinued) after setting up a Smartly Checking and Savings account to get “in” with them but was getting impatient (was denied for US Bank credit cards in the past without a banking relationship due to my geographic area). Will have to sit this one out for now, but plan to try again later if they don’t pull it quickly.

Original pre-review post:

US Bank recently announced the US Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card, a new rewards credit card that offers up to 4% cash back on all purchases, if you have enough qualifying balances with them. This is the newest entrant to relationship banking, where banks offers you extra perks for combining multiple account types with them like savings accounts and investment/retirement accounts.

The card is not open to applications yet, but you can get on an e-mail waitlist. Here are the details of how that “up to 4% cash back” breaks down according to this US Bank press release and CNBC article.

Base rewards of 2% cash back on all purchases, with no limit. Technically, this card earns 2 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases. In order get 2% cash back, you must redeem those points into an eligible U.S. Bank checking or savings account.

Bonus rewards of 0.5%, 1% or 2% cash back based on your qualifying combined balances at US Bank. You must also have an open Bank Smartly Savings account. Your qualifying combined balances with U.S. Bank include “open consumer checking account(s), money market savings account(s), savings account(s), CDs and/or IRAs, U.S. Bancorp Investments and personal trust account(s).” Business accounts, commercial accounts, and the Trustee only (IFI) client relationship do not qualify.

  • $5,000 – $49,999.99 earns 2.5% total cash back. Total of 2.5 Points per $1 (a base of 2 Points plus the Smartly Earning Bonus of 0.5 Points),
  • $50,000 – $99,999.99 earns 3% total cash back. Total of 3 Points per $1 (a base of 2 Points plus the Smartly Earning Bonus of 1 Point).
  • $100,000+ earns 4% total cash back. Total of 4 Points per $1 (a base of 2 Points plus the Smartly Earning Bonus of 2 Points).

Other bits: CNBC article reports no annual fee. Points will expire if there is no reward, purchase, or balance activity on your account for 12 consecutive statement cycles. Bank Smartly Credit Card and Bank Smartly Savings available in all 50 states.

Bank Smartly savings account. Let’s take a closer look at the Bank Smartly Savings account, which also earns difference rates based on both your balance inside the Smartly savings account itself AND your qualifying combined balances at US Bank. Here’s their current interest rate grid, updated as of 9/3/2024.

Importantly, these rates can change at any time. But right now, if you have at least $25k in Smartly and $25k in combined qualifying combined balances across US Bank, you can get the current top rate of 4.10% APY.

There is also a $5 monthly maintenance fee, which is waived if you have a Bank Smartly® Checking account (or Safe Debit account which also costs $4.95 a month). The Bank Smartly® Checking account itself has a $6.95 monthly fee, waived with $1,500+ average account balance, qualifying U.S. Bank consumer credit card, or combined monthly direct deposits totaling $1,000+.

Therefore, technically if you get this credit card, that would make the Bank Smartly Checking account free, which in turn would make the Bank Smartly Savings account free. Right now there is also a $450 bonus for new Bank Smartly Checking customers with a direct deposit requirement.

Rough opportunity costs with depositing cash at Bank Smartly Savings. Let’s try some rough theoretical numbers. Let’s say you actually have $100,000 in cash lying around, but you could get ~5.10% APY elsewhere and so you would be giving up ~1% APY to park your money at US Bank instead. If you held all of it at Bank Smartly Savings to qualify for the 4% cash back on the credit card, you’d be giving up $1,000 in taxable interest each year ($100,000 x 1%).

In exchange, you are getting 2% extra cash back over your existing, flat 2% cash back card. Cash back rewards are generally considered non-taxable as they are a rebate on your purchase. If you assume a marginal tax rate of 0% (this is just a guess), then you’d need $50,000 in annual purchases ($4,166 a month) at 2% extra cash back to break even with the hit from the lower interest. If you assume a marginal tax rate of 22%, then you’d need a little less: $39,000 in annual purchases ($3,350 a month) at 2% extra cash back to break even with the hit from the lower interest.

US Bank self-directed investments accounts! As with the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program, an alternative way to satisfy the balance requirements with minimal opportunity costs is to transfer over existing assets into a self-directed US Bank brokerage account. For example, you could transfer over $100,000 in index ETFs inside an IRA or taxable brokerage account. This would appear to fully satisfy the requirements as a “U.S. Bancorp Investments” account. This way, US Bank also gets a stronger foothold in the world of wealth management, as all the banks seem to want these days.

Be careful though, as US Bank’s self-directed brokerage account has a slightly higher fee schedule than much of the competition. Stock trades are $4.95 each, although you get 100 free trades per calendar year if you have both a Bank Smartly Checking account and paperless statements. There is a $50 annual account fee and a separate $50 annual IRA fee; these are waived if you have $250,000 in combined statement household balances.

My quick take. If all of these details actually hold through launch, they would be a potential improvement over the best current situation of 2.62% cash back on all purchases via the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program (also requires $100k in assets held at BofA) and a BofA cash back credit card. (The Robinhood 3% credit card is still “coming soon”.) But will it last? Even the BofA 2.62% has remained something of an outlier, but my hunch is that it has encouraged enough of people to keep a ton of cash at BofA earning zero interest so that BofA is still happy overall. Given that this new US Bank program actually offers a decent interest rate and an even higher cash back rate, I am concerned about its longevity. On the other hand, maybe this is US Bank’s big push to become a major player on the national level of Bank of America or Chase.

I’d have to open a lot of new accounts to go for this one. Savings account, brokerage account, credit card, move over assets, all for a bonus that is based on my credit card spend so will trickle in slowly. (None of these have a big upfront bonus.) Given the amount of shady stuff US Bank will probably have to deal with when paying 4% cash back, I’d also have to trust that it will last long enough to be worth the effort.

US Bank has a history of making cards and then pulling them from the market, but sometimes they also let the grandfathered users keep the old perk system. Hmm…

Filed Under: Banking, Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Review: 125,000 Points Limited-Time Offer

Posted on August 1, 2025 // 2 Comments

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New limited-time offer, at all-time high values. The card_name is the re-branded business credit card of the Marriott Bonvoy program. This card offers unique perks for Marriott customers, along with a generous new customer incentive. Here are the highlights:

  • Limited-time offer: Earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $8,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms apply. Offer ends 10/22/2025.
  • New award night top-off option: Marriott now allows you to supplement your free night certificates with up to 15,000 points of your own. For example, the 50k Award can be used to book a hotel at 65,000 points level if you spend 15,000 points of your own. This opens up the number of potential hotels available in expensive areas.
  • Room rate discount: 7% discount on eligible Marriott Bonvoy hotel bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy(R) member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business(R) American Express(R) Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.
  • 6X points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy(R) program.
  • 4X points at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
  • 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
  • Receive a Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60k in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy(R). Certain hotels have resort fees.
  • Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with this card.
  • Elite Night Credits: Receive credit for 15 nights towards the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status, each calendar year.
  • Annual fee is $125.
  • See Rates and Fees

Keep in mind the following terms and conditions:

Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Rewards® Business Credit Card from Chase in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Credit Card from Chase or the Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a new Card Member bonus offer in the last 24 months on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase or the Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase.

This is more specific than before, note the different 30-day, 90-day, and 24-month waiting periods that may now include consumer cards. American Express usually gives you a pop-up warning during the application process if you are ineligible based on their records. This is why you should be looking to get the best possible bonus (like a limited-time offer) when you do apply.

Many people aren’t aware of the fact that they can apply for business credit cards, even if they are not a corporation or LLC. The business type is called a sole proprietorship, and these days many people are full-time or part-time consultants, freelancers, eBay/Amazon/Etsy sellers, Uber/Lyft drivers, or other one-person business owners. This is the simplest business entity, but it is fully legit and recognized by the IRS. On a business credit card application, you should use your own legal name as the business name, and your Social Security Number as the Tax ID.

NEW: Certificates can be combined with up to 15,000 points for nicer hotels. Marriott now allows you to supplement your free night certificates with up to 15,000 points of your own. In other words, if your certificate is worth 35,000 points, the maximum hotel value you can redeem for is 50,000 points after adding 15,000 points of your own. if your certificate is worth 50,000 points, the maximum hotel value you can redeem for is 65,000 points after adding 15,000 points of your own.

You can use the Marriott free night search tool to price out some sample hotels for yourself. Also, here are details on the Free Night Award Top Off option.

What is a reasonable estimate for the value of a Marriott Bonvoy point? Based on multiple real-world searches of redeemable properties, I choose to use a conservative estimate of 0.70 cents per Bonvoy point. That means 50,000 Bonvoy points = estimated $350 redeemable value, and 100,000 Bonvoy points = estimated $700 redeemable hotel night value. However, I almost always get closer to 1 cent per point value when I actually choose to redeem. Remember to compare the full price of the hotel price with all taxes, as that is what you would have to pay instead of just points.

What can I book with 65,000 points? Based on a few quick searches (log in and try to book with points), the following premium hotels can potentially be booked for 65,000 points or less. (* Marriott no longer publishes a fixed point award chart):

  • The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, Big Island, Hawaii
  • The Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
  • The Ritz-Carlton, Bali
  • Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa
  • JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa
  • Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld®
  • Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
  • The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

35k Free Night Award (Anniversary). At your card anniversary, you will receive a Free Night Award that is good for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel. This excludes the very top properties, but for regular travelers it will be very easy to get your $95 or even $125 value. Many W Hotels, Westin, and even some Ritz-Carltons worldwide are included. Here are some sample hotels that may qualify under the 35,000 point limit (* Marriott no longer publishes a fixed point award chart):

  • Sheraton Kona Resort (Big Island, Hawaii)
  • Courtyard Waikiki Beach (Honolulu, Oahu)
  • Sheraton Kauai Resort (Kauai, Hawaii)
  • W Atlanta
  • New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge
  • Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
  • W Chicago
  • The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing, China
  • The S. Regis Bangkok, Thailand

You can expand this even further if you use the top-off option and look for hotels at up to 50,000 Bonvoy points.

Bottom line. The card_name is the co-branded business card between Marriott hotels and American Express. You also get a Free Night Award at card anniversary, which can be worth much more than the annual fee. Check out the current welcome offer, which can be redeemed for multiple free nights at hotels around the world.

Also see: Top 10 Best Small Business Card Bonus Offers.

(See Rates and Fees)

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General //

BJ’s Wholesale Club: $15 for 1-Year Membership + $15 Reward (Regularly $60)

Posted on July 29, 2025 // 1 Comment

Groupon has a BJ’s Wholesale New Membership deal with $15 for a One-Year BJ’s The Club Card Membership that also includes a $15 reward with $45 purchase. Regular price is $60.

There is also an option for $40 for a One-Year BJ’s The Club+ Card Membership (2% cash back) also includes a $40 reward with $120 purchase. Regular price $120. BJ’s auto-renewal enrollment is required for this offer, although you can cancel later. New members only (not sure how this is defined, but no renewals). Valid at all BJ’s Wholesale Club locations (East coast mostly). Nice deal, net cost technically zero for most folks.

Here is the fine print on the bonus rewards:

Purchase qualifying membership and spend qualifying amount of $45 (for The Club Card members)? or $120 (for The Club+ Card members) before discounts and after taxes, in one transaction in-club or on BJs.com within 30 days of membership enrollment, get a $15 reward (for The Club Card members) ?or a $40 reward (for The Club+ Card members) added to the primary membership account within 24 hours of qualifying purchase to be used within 30 days from the date of the qualifying purchase.

Save even more on your Groupon with a cashback shopping portal. Many offer new customers bonuses if you make a qualifying purchase, including Swagbucks ($10 bonus), MyPoints ($3 bonus), Rakuten (formerly eBates) ($30 bonus currently, varies), TopCashBack (varies), and BeFrugal ($10 bonus). So you could sign-up and stack this Groupon to trigger the bonus. I have cashed out of all of these in the last 12 months.

(Existing BJ’s member? Log into your account at this link to check for a possible renewal discount at only $10. Use code EZ33DW if prompted. Seems to work only for some memberships. Found via DoC.)

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

GigSky: Free Travel eSIM with Many Visa Cards (Signature/Infinite)

Posted on July 25, 2025 // 3 Comments

GigSky is a travel eSIM provider, which allows you to access cellular data both in the US and internationally in 125+ countries with your existing phone (almost all newer smartphones now support eSIM). They have a promotion that gives you one free eSIM per year for each Visa Signature and/or Visa Infinite credit card that you link with their app, along with up to 30% off paid plans. If you have multiple credit cards, there is a good chance you have at least one Visa Signature. Visa Infinite cards are usually those with $300+ annual fees.

  • Visa Infinite: Free 3 GB / 15-day plan (one per year). Discount of 30% off all paid plans.
  • Visa Signature: Free 1 GB / 15-day plan (one per year). Discount of 20% off all paid plans.

If you link multiple Visa cards, you can get multiple free eSIMs. The value of a 3 GB eSIM is about $10, 1 GB eSIM is about $4, depending on the country. If you want, you can use my referral code at sign-up JONP110 for a 25% off coupon on your first plan purchase, but won’t be that much better than this offer.

I’ve personally used Airalo in the past, which is very similar but what I like about them is that they usually list the specific cellular network(s) that their eSIM uses. Sometimes that matters, for example I have bought a Verizon SIM for certain US national parks with only Verizon cellular coverage. If you want, you can use my Airalo referral link or JONATH1624 for $3 off your first Airalo eSIM.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Capital One 360 Savings Deposit Promo ($300 to $1,500 Bonus)

Posted on July 22, 2025 // 30 Comments

Offer is back again/still around. Capital One has brought back a deposit promotion worth up to $1,500 for new 360 Savings accountholders. It’s a good bonus, but only for “new” customers and those that are willing to keep an eye on things. Here’s their definition of “new”:

If you have or had an open 360 Performance Savings, 360 Savings, 360 Money Market, Savings Now or Confidence Savings account as a primary or secondary account holder with Capital One on or after January 1, 2022, you will be ineligible for the bonus. If your account is in default, closed or suspended, or otherwise not in good standing, you will not receive the bonus.

Note: Some readers have reported in the past that they were not able to apply the promo code even as valid new customers, and Capital One responded that this was a targeted promotion even though there is no such language on the offer page nor in the terms and conditions. This offer seems clearly available to the public, however. After applying, I would contact them and make sure that the promo code “BONUS1500” was accepted before making a large deposit for this promo.

The steps:

  • Open a new 360 Performance Savings account with promo code BONUS1500 on or after April 3, 2024.
  • Deposit $20,000+ of external funds during the 15-day Initial Funding Period after opening your account.
  • Hold the deposit(s) in your account for an additional 90 days after the 15-day Initial Funding Period ends.
  • $20,000+ deposited = $300 bonus.
  • $50,000+ deposited = $750 bonus.
  • $100,000+ deposited = $1,500 bonus.
  • See the bonus in your new account within 60 days after holding.
  • You’ll also earn their normal interest rate (variable, but currently 3.80% APY as of 12/22/24). No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements.

Note that the 90-day “maintain balance” period is after and in addition to the end of the 15-day “initial funding period”. So if you are counting from the opening day, that is a total of 105 days after opening. This is important as other readers have gotten denied for the bonus when withdrawing after 91-100 days. You may wish to chat with Capital One to confirm the exact date.

As long as you hit the tiers exactly, you are getting 1.5% of your deposit with technically a minimum holding period of 90 days, but you’ll probably want to send it in a little early and take it out a little late to be safely within the deadlines. Let’s call it 120 days for a conservative round number. This means the bonus by itself works out to the equivalent of (a little more than) a 4.5% annualized yield. Add in your expected interest rate for the total annualized yield for those 120 days.

Again, this one is only for new customers or those that have closed their previous CapOne360 savings-type accounts by January 1, 2022.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

OnPath FCU: 6.00% APY Rewards Checking ($150 Bonus) + 4.40% APY Elite Money Market

Posted on July 22, 2025 // 11 Comments

APY now 6.00% APY. Bonus now increased to $150 (was $100). OnPath Federal Credit Union now has two accounts that are competitive in the high-interest cash landscape:

Credit union membership requirements (easy). OnPath FCU is based in Louisiana, a their field of membership starts with people that live and work in that area. However, anyone nationwide can join OnPath FCU with a $5 donation to OnPath Foundation. I did not experience a hard credit check, which was nice.

Elite Money Market details. This is a new account type, and it looks like they are looking to pull in some big deposits. (OnPath has been growing, recently merging with Louisiana Federal Credit Union.) You have to open with at least $25,000 and maintain at least a $25,000 balance to earn the highest APY. Funds must be new to OnPath. This account offers NCUA excess-share insurance up to $1,000,000.

It’s a little hidden on their website, but you it’s in the Savings section and look for “Elite Money Market” on the left menu.

Note: The Elite Money Market (EMM) has some ACH restrictions. My understanding is that they do have some limitations when you initiate ACH transactions internally (at OnPath) between an internal (OnPath) and external (outside) account. They also appear to not allow externally-initiated ACH transfers directly to/from the EMM account. To work around this, you can perform an instant transfer of your money into an OnPath checking account (no limits), and then withdrawal the money via that OnPath checking account using an externally-initiated pull.

6.00% APY High-Yield Rewards Checking details. Their High-Yield Rewards Checking earns 7% APY on balances up to $10,000 and .50% APY on balances over $10,000, if you meet these three qualifications per monthly cycle.

  • Have 15 or more debit card purchases post and settle.
  • The primary owner must log into online or mobile banking at least once.
  • Be enrolled in and receive electronic statements.

Qualification cycles start on the last day of each month and end on the second to last day of the following month. Here are the exact dates for each cycle [pdf]. They will e-mail you at the end of each month to confirm if you’ve met the qualifications. All balances for non-qualified accounts earn .01% APY.

Out-of-network, domestic ATM fee rebates ($10 max per month) are also included if you meet the qualifications. No monthly service fee, no minimum balance requirement, and $25 minimum deposit to open.

OnPath has been pretty reliable and hasn’t given me any problems. There are no minimum debit purchase amounts, although I still try to vary the amounts. I also avoid waiting until the end of the month, because it says you have to post and settle, which might take a couple business days.

$150 Refer-a-Friend Bonus. This bonus is independent of the checking account qualifications above, but you need to pick a checking account and I picked the one above since it stacks well. Note that this refer-a-friend bonus has a $10 minimum per transaction, but the ongoing requirements for the 7% APY do not include the minimum.

  • First, register your information at member’s $100 bonus referral link (that’s mine). I have already registered on my end, and successfully referred members in the past.
  • Become an OnPath FCU member and open a new OnPath FCU personal or business checking account.
  • Within 60 days of account opening, make at least 15 debit card transactions of $10 or more (excluding ATM transactions), AND have one (1) or more direct deposits totaling at least $250.
  • Both referring and referred parties will receive a $100 Visa Reward card mailed to them upon completion. I got my prepaid Visa in the mail with no issues. You can cash out the Visa Reward card by purchasing an Amazon gift card, or buy using it as a funding source for the Cash App (via PayPal) or Apple Cash.

Here’s a quick screenshot of the OnPath FCU user interface. They use the same backend provider as many other credit unions.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers //

Hyatt Hotels Points Calendar Tool: Find Award Night Availability

Posted on July 21, 2025 // 1 Comment

My favorite hotel rewards program is still Hyatt, as they are the least diluted program with the most valuable points. I can almost always get at close to 2 cents per point value, often a lot more. In addition to earning Hyatt points through stays or their co-branded credit card, you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points (including the Chase Sapphire line of cards) and Bilt Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1: ratio.

Hyatt just introduced their “Points Calendar” tool which makes it much easier for you to find award nights to use your points. Let’s take the Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. I just looked for a close-in date and the cash cost after all taxes would be $320 a night for the cheapest Member’s Rate, plus a “daily destination fee” of $38 per night. So that’s $358 a night, or 18,000 points per night, for a value of 2 cents per point. Hyatt award nights include all taxes/fees and also waive daily resort-type fees.

Tip: Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach is also Category 4, which means you can use your Cat 1-4 Free Night Awards at this hotel as well. Pretty solid deal to get ~$360 of value out of a free night certificate.

When you pick the hotel, you’ll have to look for the “Points Calendar” icon:

Now you can see which days are available to book with points without having to check every night or span of nights separately. This is the calendar for August, which is literally days away and during peak season, so I wouldn’t expect it to be completely open. With this tool, you can quickly see exactly which nights you can use your Hyatt points or Free Night Awards. A long-awaited improvement.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, Frugal Living //

Citi ThankYou Points: 1:1 Transfers to Accor ALL Hotel Program (Limited-Time Offer)

Posted on July 21, 2025 // Leave a Comment

Update: Expired, although even the default transfer is still a decent way to get over one cent per point value out of your Citi ThankYou points.

Original, expired post:

If you have a stash of Citi ThankYou points, right now at ThankYou.com you can transfer the to the Accor Live Limitless (ALL) hotels rewards program at a 1:1 ratio. This is double the usual transfer ratio and looks to be a limited-time offer, as it is a potentially very valuable way to redeem ThankYou points.

The Accor Live Limitless (ALL) rewards program offers a straightforward redemption system: 2,000 ALL Reward points = €40 off your hotel bill, which is worth ~$45 USD, depending on the current exchange rate. This means each ALL point is worth ~2.25 cents when redeemed for stays at Accor hotels (such as Sofitel, Novotel, Fairmont, and Mercure). There are no blackout dates, and redemptions can be applied directly at checkout, making ALL points very flexible.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Aeroplan® Credit Card Review: 85,000 Bonus Points (Improved Offer)

Posted on July 20, 2025 // 9 Comments

Improved offer. The Aeroplan® Card is the Air Canada co-branded credit card for US customers, issued by Chase. If you fly Air Canada regularly, this card makes the experience better in many different ways. If you don’t fly Air Canada regularly, you can still use the new Pay Yourself Back feature where Aeroplan points can be redeemed at 1.25 cents per point towards any eligible travel purchase on ANY airline, for up to 200,000 points per year (for up to $2,500 back). Here are the highlights on the sign-up bonus and Air Canada perks:

  • 85,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
  • 85,000 points can be redeemed to offset over $1,000 in travel. Redeem points at a rate of 1.25 per point as a statement credit to cover travel purchases including flights, hotels, car rentals, ride-shares and more. Through 12/31/2025, you can redeem up to 200,000 points for up to $2,500 back.
  • Free first checked bags on Air Canada flights: one free checked bag for the primary cardmember and up to eight other travelers on the same itinerary.
  • Automatically receive Aeroplan 25K Elite Status for the remainder of the first calendar year, plus the following calendar year, allowing primary cardmembers to enjoy benefits such as priority check-in, early boarding, upgrades and more on Air Canada flights.
  • Each calendar year in which you spend at least $15,000 in purchases you earn Aeroplan 25K Status through the following calendar year.
  • Up to $120 credit toward Global Entry, TSA Precheck or NEXUS every four years (as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card)
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • $95 annual fee.

Here is the rewards structure on credit card spending:

  • 3X points on dining, takeout, and eligible delivery services
  • 3X points at grocery stores
  • 3X points on direct purchases at Air Canada
  • 1 point for each dollar spent on all other purchases
  • 500 bonus points for every $2,000 spent in a calendar month (up to a maximum of 1,500 points per calendar month)

Redeeming Aeroplan points for flights. It is very easy to redeem Aeroplan points on Air Canada, Air Canada Express, or Air Canada Rouge flights because “every Air Canada seat available to buy for cash is also available for points, no restrictions.” You simply run a search like normal on the Air Canada website, and it will tell you upfront the cost in Aeroplan points. It’s quite easy to compare the cash cost side-by-side. In addition, when you have this credit card, you get even better preferred pricing on flights when redeeming points.

Here is an example flight from San Francisco to Vancouver during our March Spring Break period:

At 8,300 miles + CAD$8 for a one-way flight, that means I could get 4 of these SFO-YVR roundtrip flights for 70,000 with some 3,000+ points left over. This means an entire family of four could get their flights covered. The cash cost for the one way was CAD$207 or US$161 at this writing, for a total redemption value of CAD$1,656 or US$1,288.

For a more general idea, here is a link to the Aeroplan rewards chart (PDF). The points required are based on distance.

You can also get excellent value by redeeming your points on a partner airline.

Finally, with this credit card, you get preferred pricing on award flights (less points required):

You, as the primary cardmember will often require fewer Aeroplan points to redeem for flight rewards through the Aeroplan program than Aeroplan Members who do not hold an Aeroplan co-branded Credit Card.

Redeem towards any travel at 1.25 cents per points. Via their Pay Yourself Back(R) feature, Chase allows an alternative option to redeem Aeroplan points at a rate of 1.25 cents per point to cover travel purchases including airline flights, hotels, cruises, car rentals, rideshares, parking lots, and more. This provides a nice minimum floor on the value of an Aeroplan point. More Aeroplan Pay Yourself Back details here. Here are the updated eligible categories for 2025, which include eligible restaurants and grocery stores:

Pay Yourself Back®
Aeroplan® points may be redeemed for a statement credit using Pay Yourself Back for purchases made at select merchants within the 90 days before the redemption request date.? Redemptions using Pay Yourself Back against the following purchases made with your credit card will qualify: travel purchases and the prior payment of your annual fee. Currently, purchases made in the following promotional categories will also qualify: dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services), grocery stores (including eligible delivery services, excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs). Each point you redeem through Pay Yourself Back for a statement credit towards qualifying travel purchases (up to 200,000 points or $2,500 annually) and the prior payment of your annual fee is worth $.0125 (one and a quarter cents), which means that 100 points equals $1.25 in redemption value. Each point you redeem through Pay Yourself Back for a statement credit towards qualifying purchases in promotional categories is worth $.008, which means that 100 points equals $.80 in redemption value. Valid through December 31, 2025.

Here’s all of what counts as “Travel”:

Merchants in this category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages. Some merchants that provide transportation and travel-related services are not included in this category; for example, real estate agents, educational merchants arranging travel, in-flight goods and services, on-board cruise line goods and services, sightseeing activities, excursions, tourist attractions, RV and boat rentals, merchants within hotels and airports, public campgrounds and merchants that rent vehicles for the purpose of hauling. Purchases from gift card merchants or merchants that sell points or miles will not qualify in the travel category.

Personal experience. I have had this card, and here is why I renewed and paid the annual fee for another year. There are a lot of little things with this card that makes travel better.

  • You get 25K elite status on Air Canada with this card (25K automatically for the remainder of the first calendar year, plus the following calendar year, later years with eligible spending), and that lets you check in using the speedy priority line with helpful humans! The same line as business class ticket holders. This 1 on 1 person can help you make flight changes, fix seats, check bags and just make flying smoother rather than trying to flag down the kiosk person trying to help 30 people at once.
  • 25K status lets you pick better seats for free and gives you a 50% discount on the preferred seats with extra legroom on (non-basic) Flex economy fares.
  • 25K status gets you Zone 2 boarding even on basic economy tickets, which is very early. You know how the line is usually split between “1st class/fancy folks” and “everyone else”? You get to board in the fancy folks line.
  • Free checked bags for you and all travel companions with the card. For me, that means my family can check 5 bags for free. 25K status also gives the person with status 2 free checked bags.

Basically, this card helps me feel closer to a business class passenger when I just buy economy tickets and pay for the extra legroom seats. I get the nice check-in line, no hassles with checked bags, TSA PreCheck for security, and true priority boarding so no stress about carry-on space.

Bottom line. The Aeroplan® Card offers a generous sign-up bonus (redeemable for multiple Air Canada flights or use the Pay Yourself Back feature to offset travel purchased from ANY airline or hotel) and Air Canada flight perks (including free first checked bag and elite status).

I will be adding this offer to the Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

The information for the Aeroplan® Card has been collected independently by My Money Blog. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //
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